Nautilus eBook

The old man gave a convulsive shudder at this, and
shrieked faintly; all started, but the Skipper laughed.

“You see, Senor Pike, and Senor Doctor, greatly
respected! Who shall know how great sums this
ancient fish has hidden under him? Let him keep
them, these sums. I take the child, and I go my
way. Is it finished, uncle of my heart?
Is it finished, venerable iniquity? Can you part
with the child, beloved, even as your old father was
beloved, and like him caressed and tenderly entreated?
Answer, thou!”

But before Mr. Scraper could speak, little John stepped
forward, very pale, but clear in his mind.

“If you please,” he said, “I should
like to speak. If you please, he (indicating
the Skipper,) is so kind, and—­and—­he
knows what I—­he knows things I have thought
about, but he does not know all. Cousin Scraper,
you may be sick now, perhaps a long time, and perhaps
you have gone upon your bed to die, like that king
in the Bible who had figs put on; only he got well.

“And I want to stay and take care of you, and—­and
I will do as well as I know how, and I think I can
work more than I used to, because I know more, these
last days, than I did, and—­and—­I
think that is all. But if you don’t mind—­if
you would try to like me a little, I think we should
get on better; and if dried figs would do, we might
try those, you know.”

Here he turned to the doctor, with a face of such
clear brightness that the good man choked, and coughed,
and finally went and looked out of the window, wondering
whether he was laughing or crying.

Then John came forward, and held out both hands to
the old man with an appealing gesture.

“Will you try to like me a little?” he
said; and for the first time his voice quivered.

“For now my only friend is going away, and I
am sending him, and I shall never see him again.”

Mr. Endymion Scraper was a man of few ideas; and only
one was in his mind at this moment. Gathering
himself up in the bed, he pushed the boy away from
him with all his feeble strength.

“Go ’way!” he said. “Go
’way, I tell ye. If that man there will
take ye, he’s welcome to ye, I guess. If
he’s fool enough to take ye in exchange for
property, saying the property was his, which I aint
fool enough to do without a lawyer—­he’s
welcome to ye. I say, he’s welcome.
I don’t want no brats round here. I took
ye out of charity, and I’ve had enough of ye.
Go ’long, I say, with that wuthless feller, if
he is my sister’s son. I want to be rid
of the hull lot and passel of ye!”

His voice rose to a scream, and the veins on his narrow
forehead stood out like cords. The doctor motioned
to the Spaniard; and the latter, without another word,
took the child up in his arms as he had done once
before, swung him over his shoulder, and left the room.